Ya I don't see the big deal here, when really LAG have hardly had this kid in their program, and on the flipside, absolutely poached Villareal. Good for the kid having options, welcome to the rest of the world where you have to fight for the best players. The future discussions on how to solve getting more talented kids into MLS squads and giving them an actual place to develop, not a half hearted reserve team schedule, is going to be the key part of all this I think.
There's FIFA-mandated training compensation. See Annexe 4 on pages 60-64: http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/aff.../95/83/85//regulationsstatusandtransfer_e.pdf The US doesn't participate in this system, apparently with the informal blessing of FIFA, see this for example: https://www.facebook.com/notes/paul...-case-fifas-stuttering-response/2690768388524 One can easily see why the training compensation setup is legally and morally questionable, but the mechanism does exist.
Paul Arriola @PaulArriola 7h Scored my first goal for Xolos last night in a friendly game with the 20s. Hopefully many more to come! #GodIsGreat
A little more detail on how the Gals lost the recruiting battle for Arriola to Xolos: '“I think a lot of Californians are coming over and asking for tryouts,” stated [Alejandro] Guido. “A lot of scouts from Xolos are going out there – to parts all over California to recruit players.” One of those was Club Tijuana’s new American youth signing Paul Arriola, whom Guido gave advice when he was deciding whether to sign for the LA Galaxy or Tijuana. “I told him I loved it here,” said Guido. “I told him about my experience, what it is like living here, my daily routine, my plans according to the institution....”' http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...o-bears-down-after-us-u-20-disappointment-say
So here's the issue with Arriola. The Galaxy arent the only club eligible for Training Compensation, so are his youth clubs - Arsenal FC and Chula Vista Rangers. FIFA allows soccer clubs to negotiate between themselves not to pay training compensation, which is what it looks like MLS does when it signs players like Mwanga. But USSF is not exempt unless FIFA comes out and says it, so there is no reason youth clubs who lose players to MLS clubs who then sign abroad would not be able to demand training compensation. As to the issue of pay-to-play, very few clubs in the world pay for all the player's training expenses so it's not unique to US Soccer and is contemplated in the training compensation rules. FIFA allows the training compensation fee to be adjusted to match the club's actual investment in training the players. So any US clubs that can demonstrate any investment in training a player who become subject to training compensation rules is eligible to collect, regardless of whether MLS chooses to or not. Canada uses it, and there system is basically identical to ours.
Arriola came on as a second half sub and scored Tijuana's final goal in a 5-2 preseason victory over Club America. From Xolos' twitter: "Arriola scores from just outside the 18-yard box, sending a volley into the left corner of the net in the 54th minute. American Greg Garza started for Xolos as well as [possible] Yank Bruno Piceno.
Goal starts at 1:52 http://www.sandiegored.com/noticias...liates-the-champion-in-the-San-Diego-Clasico/
Paul Arriola is on the bench for Club Tijuana for their Apertura opener. Game starts at 10:30 pm eastern. It will be televised on ESPN Deportes, Azteca America, and live on espn3.com in Hawaii. Game thread
I don't even want to ask this since it's literally his first appearance, but I assume this guy holds Mexican citizenship, any interest from either side? Quite impressive that Tijuana are giving him minutes in the first game of the season at 18.
If you're asking whether Paul counts as a Mexican according to FMF/LigaMX rules, I believe the answer would be yes.
He's third-generation. Qualified for a passport thru his Mexican grandparents and didn't get the passport till he signed with Xolos and he got it to not count as a foreigner (and probably to make it easier going to work every day). He's also lived in the US all his life and played with US YNTs. My point is, that while he has Mexican heritage, he is pretty damn American. I also can't imagine it going over well in Mexico if El Tri showed interest in him. It's one thing for them to go after kids who have Mexican parents or who were born in the US but spent a lot of time growing up in Mexico. I can't see them going after someone quite so American and so barely Mexican.
http://www.soccerbyives.net/2013/07/american-teenager-delivers.html Worth the watch. Really nice assist.
Still not surprised! I don't think he can play for Mexico BTW. I believe that he is captied to the US, since he played in a FIFA youth tournament before he was eligible to play for Mexico.
Oh my, that's a very nice ball. They'd find a way to justify it to their fans, who would justify it to themselves.
First generation Mexican- American reporting in. How can you tell us apart from the 3rd and so on generations? I need to know the secret!
My secret is I can read. I try not to make a presumption one way or the other till I read about it. And for matters not pertaining about sport, I don't care as it doesn't impact how I treat or feel about people.